Blind blowflies tackle deadly sheep disease

SCIENTISTS at the CSIRO, Australia's national research organisation, this week released the pupae of genetically manipulated blowfly en masse on the Furneaux Islands, a remote group of islands north of Tasmania. The release is part of a long-term experiment to combat a disease called fly strike which can kill sheep. Over the next two years, the scientists will release more than 400 million pupae, which each take about two days to turn into flies.

The female sheep blowfly (Lucilia cuprina) causes fly strike when it lays eggs in areas of the sheep's fleece close to infected sores. Maggots feed on the sores and enlarge the wounds. In Australia, sheep farmers lose up to A$250 million (Pounds sterling 125 million) a year because of the disease. Meat production suffers and the wool fibre weakens, reducing the value of the fleece. Untreated sheep die.

The sheep blowfly is now resistant to various ...

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